The 2026 Update found that leading organizations are using AI to supercharge three important functions.

Commercial banking solutions are entering a new phase. Expectations are being shaped by the fastest, most seamless digital experiences across every industry. Consumer preferences for personalization and immediacy are bleeding into business and commercial, creating expectations for speed and clarity. Businesses expect their financial institution to keep up.

The challenge is that many financial institutions are still operating with disconnected systems, fragmented data, and processes that slow teams down at the exact moments that matter most. Whether it’s opening a new account, stopping a suspicious transaction, or resolving an issue before payroll runs, these moments define the relationship. The 2026 Update to the Business Banking Digital Maturity Model (2026 Update) takes a closer look at how financial institutions are responding to new technology (tech) and market changes, and what separates those moving forward from those falling behind.

How has digital maturity in business and commercial banking solutions changed?

Digital transformation success was often thought about by the number of business and commercial features an institution could offer digitally. Business householding? Check. Account servicing? Check.

That’s no longer enough. The latest research shows that digital maturity is now defined by how well those capabilities work together. Banks and credit unions that are pulling ahead are aligning data, workflows, and decisioning across onboarding, servicing, and risk; creating a clear divide.

On one side of the digital maturity spectrum are financial institutions still managing handoffs between systems, relying on manual processes, and struggling to act on data in real time. On the other are those delivering connected experiences that feel tailored to each individual client or business user. The difference comes down to readiness and execution.

What roles does data and artificial intelligence (AI) play in modern business and commercial banking solutions?

Data has always been important. What’s changed is how it’s being used. The most digitally mature institutions have moved beyond collecting data to actually activating it and empowering their employees to embody a data-informed mindset. They have built environments where data is clean, connected, and accessible; making it possible to apply automation and AI with confidence.

This is where AI starts to shift from experimentation to driving real business impact. Instead of adding complexity, AI is being used to

• Streamline onboarding workflows
• Identify risk signals earlier in the lifecycle
• Surface the next best action for employees
• Reduce manual effort while improving consistency

However, there’s an important distinction when it comes to execution. AI alone is not the differentiator. The financial institutions seeing results are the ones that have laid the groundwork with strong data foundations and have strategically identified use cases for application. Without that, even the most advanced tools struggle to deliver meaningful value that can be measured and replicated at scale.

The 2026 Update found that leading organizations are using AI to supercharge three important functions across their operations:

1. Digital account opening & self-serviceLeading institutions are reducing friction by linking identity verification, funding, and back-office processes into a single workflow that can be paused and resumed across channels. This allows applicants to move quickly from their application to a fully operational account without unnecessary delays or repeated steps.

   At the same time, self-service capabilities are expanding beyond onboarding. Businesses want to manage users, permissions, and account activity on their own terms. The institutions that deliver on this are turning first impressions into long-term relationships.

2. Automated fraud preventionFraud threats continue to raise the stakes; making a layered security strategy imperative to ensuring institutions can prevent and stop threats before they happen. The research shows a clear shift toward embedding fraud controls earlier in the journey through stronger Know Your Business (KYB) processes, real-time monitoring of account activity, and tools that allow businesses to review and validate transactions before funds move. The goal is to strike the right balance for clients by reducing risk without adding unnecessary friction. This not only protects account holders and institutional reputation, but also strengthens trust at every interaction.
3. AI-powered relationship managementTechnology investments only go as far as the teams using them. One of the most important findings in the report is that employee experience is becoming a key driver of digital maturity. Banking leaders that equip their teams with the right tools, training, data, and workflows are able to move faster and deliver more consistent outcomes.

What has changed among the four digital maturity cohorts of financial institutions?

In the 2024 report, the research revealed four distinct cohorts of digital maturity among financial institutions operating in business and commercial banking; Cautiously Modernizing (the least digital mature financial institutions), Optimistic Believers, Emerging Pioneers, and Tech Titans (the most digitally mature organizations). Since the initial study came out, there have been major changes impacting the market, especially as AI adoption has become more widespread. Many of the changes in financial institutions’ digital maturity is due to investments made in data infrastructure, stronger integrations, and a greater focus on digital channels rather than branch locations. Here’s how the four cohorts have shifted:

Cautiously Modernizing

More financial institutions report that they’ve begun deploying modern data solutions including data lakes and data integration technology accompanied by business intelligence (BI) and modern reporting platforms (50% in 2025 vs. 43% in 2024). At the same time, they’re placing more importance on digital for account sales and setup, even as their readiness for AI agents remains uneven: about a third have agents implemented in at least some places of their organization (32%), while the rest are split between exploring and piloting (34%) and not yet started (34%).

Optimistic Believers

The newest story with this cohort is “focused progress with strategic caution.” Most are actively exploring or piloting AI agents (76%), yet the group has become more conservative than they were previously — 75% of banking leaders in this cohort now say they prefer to see technology proven elsewhere before investing (vs. 54% in 2024). That caution has not slowed performance in their chosen priorities. While they are still chasing the 10-minute or less digital account opening experience for new clients, they make up for it in back-end capabilities: employees use the same system as prospective clients to manage applications and account opening integrates with back-office systems in real time. Their fraud prevention posture is also notably strong with tools in place such as one-time passcodes, built-in fraud checks during account opening, a 24/7 fraud hotline and a card freezing/blocking tool, all that only the most mature institutions (Tech Titans) consistently have.

Emerging Pioneers

The headline for Emerging Pioneers is data readiness and the acceleration that follows it. They made one of the largest year-over-year jumps in having complete and meaningful client data readily available – shifting from 48% in 2024 to 62% in 2025 – setting the foundation for other behaviors. Forty-seven percent of this cohort have AI agents implemented in at least some areas, and their #2 investment priority is technology and automation to improve employee productivity. They’re also the most bullish on AI-powered relationship management as a 2026 market trend, reflecting confidence that data can drive relationship growth through timely, relevant actions.

Tech Titans

This year’s findings show Tech Titans still set the pace, while the market closes distance as AI becomes more accessible. They lead on foundational readiness. Seventy one percent report rich, complete client data is readily available, and 53% have AI agents implemented in at least some levels of their organization. They also stand out with fraud and money movement capabilities, with 70% offering an all-in-one payments center to view all past payments and initiate future transactions. Eighty-two percent report real-time account activity monitoring post-account opening, but only 63% allow clients to self-service ACH fraud remediation. Even so, they face a new kind of maturity challenge: adoption and cohesion. Digital setup is widely available (92% offer online setup), yet only 9% of these financial institutions can get it done in less than 10 minutes. They also show headroom in experience alignment, with only 35% reporting consistent or nearly identical platform interfaces for employees and businesses.

Wondering how to put the latest research findings into action?

Success on the road ahead is dependent on focusing on the moments that matter most and connecting them end to end. That could mean improving how a new business relationship is opened and funded, strengthening how suspicious activity is identified and addressed, or enhancing how employees support complex needs across channels.

When those moments are connected, the impact compounds. Onboarding becomes faster, servicing more intuitive, risk is managed earlier, and the overall experience becomes more consistent – translating digital maturity into real outcomes.